A woman said she went shopping for groceries at a Whole Foods store in Overland Park and wound up without her wallet.

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Police said the thieves are hoping to take advantage of distractions, hoping shoppers who are focused on filling their cart won't be paying close attention to their belongings.

The woman who lost her wallet in Whole Foods said a stranger approached her and asked for her thoughts about ice cream. After a short conversation, the stranger left. The victim didn't notice that her wallet was gone until she reached the checkout counter.

"She was very careful to keep her purse really close to her, where you put an infant in the front of the cart and really watching it," said Officer Gary Mason of the Overland Park Police Department. "She just turned her head for a second and that's when it happened. So you've really got to keep your items with you and on your person and zipped up or snapped."

Police said they think two women and a man are involved in the scheme. The woman's stolen credit cards were used at a Target store almost immediately, racking up more than $3,000 in purchases.

Overland Park police released surveillance pictures from the Target store and they said they hope anyone who recognizes the people will call them at 913-344-8750 or the Crime Stoppers TIPS Hotline at 816-474-8477.

Investigators said similar thefts like this have been reported in other parts of the Kansas City metropolitan area.